Patent Application
20210101248
A method, system, and apparatus for forming holes and shapes in surfaces is disclosed.
Forming large holes and shapes with conventional equipment typically requires high speed computer numeric control (CNC) machines which may require multiple different drill heads to accomplish the task. Cutting holes and shapes with a plurality of axes, such as a three-dimensional shape, often requires multiple cutting attachments.
These additional attachments complicate the task and increase the time required to complete the task, thus increasing costs. Large holes and shapes might also take a considerable amount of time to form using a CNC machine. Further, the high working speed of a typical CNC machine limits the size of the forming heads and tooling. Since the energy of a rotating part is a function of its moment of inertia around the axis of rotation, and the moment of inertia increases as the square of the radius of the part, a slightly larger forming head can mean a substantially larger energy requirement, which can overtax the machinery and present greater safety risks.
Many prefabricated parts in which holes are intended to be cut are formed from polymeric foam, such as polyurethane foam or polystyrene foam. In many cases, it is suitable to make cuts or other alterations to these foam structures by cutting the foam with a heated wire which is formed to the cross section of the desired shape. There are a number of problems with this method when forming holes. First, the waste part of the hole being formed needs space so that it can be removed and will not interfere with the cutting process. Since gravity will pull the loose waste piece down and the heating process can deform the foam, the loose waste piece will interfere with the cutting operation. The waste section gets recut, gums up the wire causing the heating aspect to be uneven, resulting in poor quality hole formation. Second, the shape of the hole to be formed may be of such complexity that a wire cannot be bent into the desired shape and still maintain the ability to form an evenly shaped hole while in operation. Third, the shape of the desired hole combined with the varying density and dampness of the foam causes the wire to have hot/cool spots causing uneven and poor hole formation. Fourth, the size of the desired hole can be too large for the wire to be able to maintain its desired shape during the hole formation process.
In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus for forming a hole or a shape in a surface, such as a polymeric foam shower base or shower tray or any other suitable surface, may be disclosed. According to an exemplary embodiment, a drilling device or other forming apparatus, such as an overhead drill press, a fixed overhead drill, an inverted drill press, or a handheld device, may be provided with a forming tool affixed to the bottom portion of the drilling device on the end of the drilling device which contacts the surface. In an exemplary embodiment, the forming tool may be equipped with one or more cutting or finishing surfaces, such as cutting teeth or abrasive surfaces, which may facilitate hole formation.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method for forming a hole or a shape in a surface may be disclosed. In a first step, a drain may be affixed to a piece of drilling equipment, which may be provided with one or more cutting or finishing surfaces, such as cutting teeth or abrasive surfaces. In some exemplary embodiments, the drain may be a standard drain and may be provided with an abrasive surface; for example, in a first exemplary embodiment, an abrasive may be applied to the drain surface directly via an adhesive, while in a second exemplary embodiment, a sandpaper attachment may be applied to the drain surface, and in a third exemplary embodiment, a cutting tool may be coupled to the drain. Other variants may also be contemplated. In a next step, the user may contact a work surface to be cut (or material otherwise to be formed) with the end portion of the drill on which the drain is provided. Finally, the drill (or other forming apparatus) is powered, such that the abrasive surface or cutting surface applied to the drain is applied to the material to be formed, causing the force of the spinning of the drain as well as a force applied toward the material to be formed to cut the material to be formed in an even, round shape.
Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, which description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indicate like elements, in which:
Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description discussion of several terms used herein follows.
As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiments are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.
A method and apparatus for forming holes and shapes in surfaces may be disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, such a method may operate at slower speeds, allowing the use of larger diameter forming devices without the hazards of high-speed equipment.
In an exemplary embodiment, a forming apparatus may be disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment of a forming apparatus, a drain, such as a standard off-the-shelf drain, may be affixed to a drilling device or other forming device, such as a fixed overhead drill, overhead drill press, inverted drill press, or a hand-held drill device. In some exemplary embodiments, the drain may be, for example, a standard PVC floor drain such as might be installed in the base of a shower, with said drain being of a type available in a typical hardware store. (Numerous custom variations on this part may also be contemplated.) In an exemplary embodiment, the drain may be affixed to a drill bit, hole saw bit, or any other contemplated drill attachment through the use of an adhesive, such as epoxy. Other methods of affixing the drain to the drill, such as by a fastener, may also be contemplated.
According to an exemplary embodiment, various combinations between forming devices and attachment methods may be contemplated. For example, the use of a low speed drill press, as opposed to a CNC machine which operates at a high speed, may allow a common and conventional epoxy adhesive to be used, even if the same epoxy adhesive may not hold at the high speeds of a CNC machine. Further, the use of a low speed drill press may allow for a larger tool to be fastened, since a large tool may be unstable at high speeds. Other fastening mechanisms may be more suitable for higher-speed devices and may be employed in combination with them, such as may be desired. In certain exemplary embodiments, the drain may form the body of the forming apparatus, though in other exemplary embodiments a formed tool may be used.
A variety of different drains may be chosen, depending on the application. In an exemplary embodiment, any manufacturer's drain may be used in order to create a hole for that specific drain. This may allow the device to be adapted such that any number of differing drains may be used, allowing the device to be well-suited to an application in which drain sizes and shapes may change over time and may differ between manufacturers. A user may prefer and utilize a certain type of drain which they are accustomed to. For example, while (as noted above) a standard PVC floor drain may be suitable in some circumstances, it may be contemplated that some applications will require drains of different sizes, shapes, or materials, including existing standard drains or custom drains specifically intended for a particular application.
The drain may be affixed to the drill in a number of ways. In an exemplary embodiment, it may be contemplated that the structure of the drain may form the outer flange of the tool, with the center of the drain being hollowed out such that a hole cutter may replace the center of the drain. It may alternatively be contemplated to have the center of the drain be used in place of a hole cutter, and with this structure being further sharpened or serrated to increase cutting efficiency.
The use of a standard drain allows the forming apparatus to be accessible in places where a CNC machine would not, allowing easy production of finished workpieces. For example, the contemplated technique may be particularly suitable to impoverished or developing countries (or rural areas) which may not have ready access to higher-end heavy machinery, but which may have access to some form of drilling equipment and a drain piece to be used. Small businesses who might not have the resources to obtain a CNC machine may easily source a drain from a local hardware store. The drain may be significantly less expensive than comparable hole forming devices. Furthermore, cutting a hole without the use of specific hole-cutting tools may result in an uneven hole with proportions that cannot conform to the shape of the desired application, such as a standard drain. By using a drain as the body of the forming apparatus, it may be assured that the hole created by the apparatus can support a standard drain.
The hole forming apparatus may be applied to any firm material. In an exemplary embodiment, the work surface may be a material such as foam, wood, or plastic. It may be contemplated that the hole forming apparatus may form the hole in a foam or plastic mold of a tub or a shower drain (or another structure such as a pattern used to form the mold), and then a hardening material such as acrylic or fiberglass may be poured into the mold to create the tub or shower.
In a further exemplary embodiment, it may be contemplated to use a variant of the hole forming apparatus to form holes in harder materials, such as wood. In an exemplary embodiment of such a hole forming apparatus, the flanges may be constructed from steel and may be brazed, electroplated, stamped, or machined to a cutting surface. The steel flanges may also have an abrasive material affixed to the outer surface. Steel flanges may be capable of directly shaping an already molded tub or shower.
Various exemplary alterations to the standard drain may be contemplated in order to increase the efficiency and accuracy of the hole forming. For example, in a first exemplary embodiment, angled sharp edges may be cut into the drain at the bottommost surfaces to create a sharper, more precise cut. The sharp edges may more precisely pierce the work surface. Further, planes which are parallel to the work surface could be cut into an angle, such that they are no longer parallel to the work surface but rather may contain an edge that may pierce the work surface. Certain portions of the drain may be cut into a saw-tooth shape. The teeth of the saw-tooth shaped drain pieces may pierce into the work surface as well as grab or saw off portions of the surface, further supplementing the cutting power of the apparatus. These alterations made to the drain allow the hole forming apparatus to be customizable and adaptable to a large variety of applications.
In another embodiment, a formed tool in the shape of a drain may be used instead to form the body of the forming apparatus. While in some exemplary embodiments it may be contemplated for a drain to have a cylindrical shape that requires a simple, straight hole to be formed, other holes may be constructed with additional protuberances or depressions to create a unique shape that would not be possible to create with a standard drain. In an exemplary embodiment, the formed tool may be a hole saw, drill, or reamer with an additional flange component affixed to a top portion of the formed tool. Various assemblies of the formed tool may be contemplated, such as a combination of an existing drain and a hole saw, a combination of an altered existing drain with a hole saw, a hole saw with other added elements duplicating a manufactured drain, a hole saw with integral elements duplicating a manufactured drain, or any other suitable assembly of parts. The goal of the formed tool may be to produce a hole that may receive a specifically shaped or sized drain or device.
The additional flange affixed to the formed tool may be formed from wood (such as plywood), plastic, metal, or any other rigid or semirigid material, and may further be fitted with an abrasive material. (As noted, the additional flange may be integral with the hole saw or other cutting device, if desired. Alternatively, it may be desired to have the additional flange be removable, which may allow the drain used as the base of the device to be used to check the drain fit in the final formed holes, such as may be desired.) The bottom portion of the formed tool may be a large drill bit or hole saw, depending on the application. Further, the bottom portion may also be another material, such as wood or another such material as is described above, that may be shaped to create a hole of a specific shape.
In a further embodiment, the apparatus may be fitted with an abrasive along the surface to increase friction and cutting speed. The attached abrasive may be applied in a variety of ways, such as by welding, an adhesive, or by using a premanufactured abrasive material, such as sandpaper. For example, in a first exemplary embodiment, a standard drain may be dipped in adhesive and then dipped in abrasive to apply the abrasive, while in a second exemplary embodiment the abrasive may be welded to the substrate. In an exemplary embodiment, a thick bodied epoxy adhesive may be applied to the drain. The thick body epoxy may hold the abrasive material without running down the sloped surface of the drain flange. In another embodiment, the drain may be dipped in a liquid adhesive. Other variants are also contemplated, such as sonic attachment. An abrasive may increase cutting speed and precision while also reducing cracks and splints in the work surface.
In certain exemplary embodiments, various grades of abrasive may be used, alone or in combination. The use of abrasive, in general, may create a smoother hole. In various exemplary embodiments, an abrasive or combination of abrasives may be used in order to provide a desired smoothness while achieving a desired hole forming speed. A smoother hole may provide advantages such as increased flow, improved aesthetics, and safety, though in some circumstances a degree of roughness may be desired in order to improve an adhesive connection between the drain flange and the foam.
The forming apparatus may be fitted to a drilling device, which may, for example, be a drilling device with a significant amount of clearance under the cutting head for large sheets of foam. (In an exemplary embodiment, this may be a ceiling-mounted drill press, such as a standard portable overhead drill press mounted to the ceiling instead of the floor by its base. Other variations may also be contemplated; for example, a hand-held drill may alternatively be used, or a drill press may simply be modified.) The drilling device may be pressed into the work surface, or the work surface may be raised to meet the forming apparatus by means of a rising table or similar devices.
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According to an exemplary embodiment, it may also be contemplated to heat a forming tool to a greater degree than may be accomplished through friction of the tool against the workpiece, in order to improve the ability of the forming tool to cut foam. As such, in some exemplary embodiments, the forming tool may include a mechanical heater or other heater. (Various exemplary embodiments of a forming tool heater may be contemplated. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the shaft of a forming tool may be held by a bearing so as to be rotatable with respect to the flange and hole saw structure, and may transfer torque to the flange and hole saw structure via an imperfect connection such as a magnetic torque coupler or rotary dashpot, such that additional heat is also produced. In another exemplary embodiment, a cavity in the forming tool may be filled with a material with a high thermal mass and heated ahead of time. Chemical and electrical solutions may also be contemplated, such as a battery-powered electric heater, if desired.) Referring to exemplary
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The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
